How to Brainstorm Ideas for Writing

As much as writing a story may be one of the most rewarding creative endeavors, sometimes it takes some work to find the right story for you to write. When you are stuck and don’t know what story to tell, it can be tough to feel creative and find the motivation to brainstorm and write. Whether you are stuck finding a new original story idea to write, have a story element that you don’t know what to do with, or just want to practice creative writing, here are some ways to help you find your next story. 

Things to Remember about Writing New Stories

Before you start writing and coming up with new ideas, there are a few things you should keep in mind. First, unless your boss or a future collaborator has given you a specific task, what you are writing today does not have to be the next big thing. When you are playing around with different story ideas and honing your craft, it is often better to just start putting pen to paper and start writing. The first draft will never be perfect, so don’t put pressure on yourself to make this story the one that will become the next box office hit. You are allowed to come up with and write ideas that just help you practice writing. 

With this, learn the ins and outs of script writing form. Understanding how to write a script may not be able to help you come up with a story idea; however, it will help you put your story in the frame of the film and television industry. Knowing story structures like common story beats, the hero’s journey, and other story structures will help give you a framework for the story you are crafting. 

Finally, set goals and know why you are writing. There are many reasons why you might be sitting down and writing today. It could be that you have been writing a lot of similar stories and want to try writing something new. It could be that you were just given an assignment that has you stumped. It could be that you feel like you have lost creative motivation and want to find it again. Whatever it is, acknowledge that and let that guide how you find your story. When setting goals, they can be loose or strict; however, make sure you are tailoring them to what you need from this writing session. This can be working for a specific amount of time, trying to write something in a different genre outside of your usual, writing something in a specific genre you have been asked to write, making sure there is a diverse character, writing for a specific environment, or any number of goals you may have for the writing session. There are many different goals that you can set for yourself. Remember to make them manageable and realistic and use them as a tool to guide your work mindset. 

Ways to Generate New Script Ideas

Here are some ways to help you find new stories to write about:

1. Real-Life Experience - Your life is surrounded by stories to tell whether you realize it in the moment or not. You can think of a story from your past, from a friend’s past, or a family story and start from there. Using your own stories and experiences doesn’t necessarily have to mean retelling something you lived. It could be taking pieces from something that has happened to you or that you have experienced and writing a new story based on that. It can be as simple as a memory of you bumping into someone from your past on the train turned into a story of international enemy spies unknowingly meeting on the train. You could also take inspiration from struggles in your life and write about that emotion or feeling. And finally, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and try new experiences. You can try a new activity or hobby, go out to a new restaurant or bar, and even if you don’t get a story from your own experience, these are great opportunities to people-watch and potentially get inspired for a story.  

2. News Stories - The news finds new stories every single day and is easily accessible. If you plan on having your script get shopped around or put into production, getting the rights may be an issue; however, if you aren’t, it doesn’t hurt to get practice writing with a story you are drawn to from the news. And who knows, if it does turn out to be one you really love, there are a lot of ways to work a script so that it doesn’t have copyright issues; rights can always be obtained after the fact. 

3. Making a change and “What ifs” - A common practice when brainstorming a new story is taking stories that you are familiar with and changing something about it. Say there is a movie you really love about a hockey miracle, what would happen if the lead was a woman, or maybe what would happen if it was about basketball instead? This is where asking “What if” questions come in. You can ask yourself “What if” this story was set in a new setting, a different genre, or an opposite perspective? One thing could change that changes the whole story or a few different things could transform an age-old tale into something that speaks more to you and your style. While you can draw from your favorite films or tropes, fairytales and folk tales are also a great place to start with these “What if” questions. 

4. Use a Writing Prompt - There are tons of writing prompts online that you can use to help you start writing a story. These prompts will give you something more specific to write about, which is not only a great way for you to hone your writing skills but can also help you get inspired for a new story. Some popular sites are The Narrative Arc, which has daily writing prompts, and the Writer's Digest.

5. Write about a passion or dream - Maybe you have a goal or dream that you have had since you were a child that could inspire a story. This goal or dream doesn’t have to be something realistic or even humanly possible but it could inspire a new world for you to tell a story in or a character who goes for and achieves this dream of yours. You can also try writing about a passion you have; create a story based on something you do for fun be it music, art, sports, or other hobbies you may have. It can be something that you might do every day or have a deep interest in.

6. Get inspired by what you watch - There is so much content today, and while it might seem hard to find a new completely original idea, that does not necessarily have to be your main goal. You could try writing a story in the same genre or story trope as a movie or show that you really like or use the “what if” method to find something new within that story’s world that you want to tell. 

7. Scroll through social media - As our media and entertainment are shifting towards social media and it continues to grow, there is more now than ever to get inspired by on social media. Be it from your Instagram Explore page, Twitter feed, or TikTok For You page, so many people and creators are putting out creative work and personal stories that could inspire you to write your next story. 

Challenges or Writing Tricks to Start Writing

Even with these ways to brainstorm story ideas to write, it can be difficult to start writing. Here are a few tricks and challenges to help you get started writing. 

1. Write loglines - Give yourself a challenge to write loglines. Write 5 or 10 loglines and see if any of them draw your attention and then elaborate on that logline. You can decide to have a specific theme or genre, or just make up loglines for whatever you feel like at the moment. If there is an idea that really sticks, you can go from there and write a scene based on it or write a treatment based on it. You can even take these loglines and pitch them to your friends and see which ones they like the best. 

2. Start in the middle of a scene - Maybe you have a scene in mind that you don’t know where to start writing or how you want to set it up. Be it an action scene, a confession, or a first date, start right in the middle of the action and see where it goes.

3. Picture a specific location and describe it - This is a bit of an opposite from the last one, if you are struggling with what you want to happen in a scene, pick a location and just describe the setting. Maybe while describing it, you start to get an idea of what could happen in that place and see your characters interacting in it. 

4. Write scene headers - Similar to writing loglines, you can start simply writing short scene headers. These normally follow the format of “INT./EXT. The Location - DAY/NIGHT.” You can write multiple and then pick one to start writing based on it. You can also use this technique with action lines or character introductions. 

5. Start from the end - Sometimes it is hard to start from the beginning of a story. You can try picking the ending you want and write the ending of the story before filling in the rest. 

6. Create a character - Create an interesting character that you can put into a situation to tell a story. This character could be based on someone you know, or come completely from your imagination. You could write this in the form of a character introduction that normally follows the format of “CHARACTER NAME (age) description of the character.” Or you could write a character profile sheet that lets you dive deeper into what makes this character tick. 

7. Create a mind map - This is an idea-generating strategy based on association. Start with a central idea, and from there, you connect it to other ideas related to that subject. Then you can keep connecting each idea to others. It creates this web of ideas that build from one another and can help in not only outlining a story but also helping you come up with different ideas that might inspire your next project. 

Make the Most of Your Idea Brainstorms

Not every technique will work for you when you are trying to brainstorm ideas. Feel free to try multiple and see what works best for you. Remember, when trying any of these techniques, write everything down and keep them safe. You don’t want to lose your ideas– even if you aren’t drawn to them today, they might be ideas that you love tomorrow. Inspiration comes from everywhere, and one idea can transform into another. Let imagination run wild and the sky is your limit. 

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